Nanotechnology

Overview:

Nanotechnology presents significant commercial opportunities for virtually all industry sectors. The promise offered by this emerging technological platform is constrained by a regulatory and policy infrastructure that has been slow to respond and adapt as needed to inspire the public’s trust.

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) has been at the forefront of the science-policy debate and has been instrumental in the progress of and integration of nanotechnologies. Our involvement includes helping to guide policy, legislative, and regulatory processes. We offer an experienced group of professionals with unique skills, capabilities, and strong relationships with decision-makers from the following (all of which have a foothold in regulation of nanotechnologies): the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the European Commission (EC).

Our background, as well as our domestic and international agency familiarity, is invaluable for clients in the chemical and downstream user communities to navigate around the challenges and benefits posed by current and emerging uses of nanotechnologies and engineered nanoscale materials.

Our Experience:

B&C’s knowledge of nanotechnology grows with the science. We have published several ground-breaking books and seminal articles for legal and scientific publications, including for the American Bar Association, Environmental Law Institute, Food Safety Magazine, and the BNA Daily Environment Report, among many others. Our analyses have won us praise for flagging significant regulatory and policy issues pertinent to nanotechnologies and engineered nanoscale materials.

We are working with both EPA and FDA on the implications of nanotechnology to their regulatory frameworks and rulemaking processes. Coordinated efforts include a meeting we co-hosted with the Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS) to discuss whether and how nanotechnologies might impact guidance documents issued by OFAS.

Shareholder Lynn Bergeson has an international reputation as a lawyer at the forefront of addressing legal, regulatory, and policy implications of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. She regularly serves on steering committees and presents at global and domestic conferences on nanotechnologies, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Conference on Potential Environmental Benefits of Nanotechnology, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Nanotechnology Technical Advisory Group, EPA’s Pollution Prevention Through Nanotechnology Conference, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Nanotechnology Standards Panel (NSP), and related others. Ms. Bergeson is also Chair of the Environment, Health, and Safety Committee of the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NbCA) and is a member of its Advisory Board. B&C is a proud member of the Institute of Nanotechnology and the Nanotechnology Industries Association.

What We Do:

The wealth of B&C’s experience working at and with numerous federal and international agencies positions us to advocate effectively for our clients before problems arise and to mitigate issues after the fact. We have worked for years with scientists inside and outside of EPA, NIOSH, the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and other scientific venues. Areas in which we advise clients include the following:

Statutory Compliance –

Advise clients on regulatory and policy matters, including premanufacture notification (PMN) requirements, implicating nanotechnologies under federal and state regulatory schemes

Product Approval and Review –

Assist in the approval and regulation by EPA and FDA of chemical products enabled by nanotechnology

NTP Study Disputes –

Launch comprehensive reviews of NTP findings

Draft supporting advocacy documents

Represent clients in discussions with NTP staff

Consortia Management –

Coordinate with companies and chemical testing consortia on the presentation of test results in NTP chemical selections

B&C assists clients with understanding the insurance implications of nanotechnology and other emerging transformative technologies.

B&C’s affiliate, B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), manages, and B&C represents, the Industry Consortium for Environmental Measurement of Nanomaterials (ICEMN), a diverse group of entities that formed to identify tools and methodologies for measuring nanomaterials and assisting government and private sector use of appropriate tools in governance settings.